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Earle-Sears campaign ad stresses American dream
Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears debuted a campaign ad [in early May] that stressed her family’s humble origins and her successful pursuit of the American dream. Titled “Seven Quarters,” the ad begins by mentioning how much money, $1.75, her father had when he came to the United States from Jamaica to build a better life for himself and his family.
Frederick County Republicans joining Sixth District GOP Committee lawsuit
The Frederick County Republican Committee (FCRC) on Tuesday night agreed to join a lawsuit that will be filed by the GOP Committee of Virginia's Sixth Congressional District seeking to overturn a new state law which denies political parties the right to choose their nomination processes. It was decided on March 1 by the Sixth District Republican Committee on a 22-1 vote that the group would file a lawsuit seeking to overturn Helmer's Law, which went into effect in January 2024. The law, which was originally sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax), requires political parties to use state-run primaries instead of their own nomination methods. Local elections are excluded.
Virginia Natural Gas breaks ground on $50M operations headquarters in Chesapeake
Virginia Natural Gas is building a new $50 million operations headquarters in Chesapeake. The project features 39,000 square feet of office space and a 30,000-square-foot warehouse. Roughly 150 employees — from the company’s Virginia Beach and Chesapeake locations — will work at the new facility on almost 30 acres on Clearfield Avenue. ... One of four natural gas distribution companies operating under Southern Company Gas, Virginia Natural Gas maintains its corporate headquarters on South Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.
From VPAP New Episode of Policy Matters: Your Window Into Virginia Politics with VPAP on VPM
Join VPAP’s Chris Piper and VPM’s Ben Dolle as they break down what’s ahead for Virginia’s June 17 primaries and how voters can get election-ready. They spotlight VPAP’s Early Voting Dashboard, Early Voting by House District visualization, and the “Zoom into Your Neighborhood” tool that shows voters their polling place, sample ballot, and more. Plus, they cover top VaNews stories, from an unusual budget veto showdown to behind-the-scenes dynamics in the Virginia GOP.
VPAP Visual 2025 Legislators’ Most Common Stock Holdings
Virginia legislators are required to file conflict of interest forms each year disclosing their ownership of securities, including stock in publicly traded companies. See the companies that were reported in the stock portfolios of at least five members of the 2025 General Assembly.
Virginia Beach schools, special education leaders reexamining student seclusion policies
Amid concerns about the treatment of an 11-year-old autistic boy in a special education program, a top administrator said the type of makeshift seclusion area where the child was placed should not have been in classrooms. Laura Armstrong, executive director of Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, told members of the Virginia Beach Special Education Advisory Committee during a May 12 meeting that special education classrooms “can’t have an impromptu seclusion area” like the one reported in a VCIJ at WHRO investigation. A Virginia Beach City Public Schools administrator told the panel that the division is re-examining its policy on using restraint and seclusion to calm students during a behavior crisis.
Youngkin to set special election for Connolly’s seat amid primary season juggle
As Fairfax County laid to rest longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly Tuesday, attention shifted to the fast-moving process of replacing him in Congress — a decision that rests with Gov. Glenn Youngkin and could reshape the calendar for both parties in the politically vital 11th District. ... A spokesperson for Youngkin on Tuesday declined to say whether the governor has made a decision on when to schedule a special election. Under Virginia law, the governor is required to issue a writ of election to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, there is no mandated timeline for doing so.
Va. Democrats on track to break primary early voting record
Ever since Virginia expanded early voting in 2021, more people have been using absentee mail-in and early in-person voting options. But if current numbers hold, Virginia Democrats could blow previous primary early voting records out of the water. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, by the end of the June primary in 2021, with five gubernatorial candidates on the ballot, Virginia Democrats had cast about 125,000 primary votes. In June 2023, with all House of Delegates and state Senate seats on the line, it hit 129,000. But as of last week, according to the Virginia Board of Elections, that number is over 80,000 votes so far this year. And there’s still three more weeks of early voting left to go.
‘Here we go again’: Richmond hit with second boil water advisory in five months
For months, Richmond officials have said January's water problem should never happen again. On Tuesday, it happened again. “Here we go again,” said Melanie Horner, one of several city residents who took to their nearest grocery store on Tuesday morning to stock up on bottled water after learning tap water in some parts of Richmond had been deemed unsafe to drink without boiling it first. The routine felt all-too-familiar for many city residents and businesses as Richmond officials announced Tuesday that clogged filters at the water treatment plant had led to a loss of pressure.
How some local police agencies are using license plate reader surveillance cameras
“I’m not good,” the man behind the wheel of the black Toyota Corolla repeatedly told Radford city police officer J.K. Caudell during a traffic stop last July. Caudell found two empty vodka bottles under the passenger’s seat of the car and a mixed drink in the cupholder. The man’s parents had called police after receiving texts from him saying he was planning on crashing his car. Flock Safety cameras identified and located his vehicle based on information from the parents. Caudell pulled him over before he could harm himself or anyone else.